A compact disk appendix is included containing computer program code listings pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.52(e) and is hereby incorporated by reference. The compact disk contains program code files in ASCII format as well as graphic image files in binary format. The graphic image files are submitted as place holders for references within the ASCII code listings to indicate to one of ordinary skill in the art where to substitute suitable graphical images. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the contents of the graphic image files is not necessary to the operation of the disclosed embodiments. The total number of compact disks is I and the files included on the compact disk are as follows:
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
One of the largest areas in which computer technology has made a significant impact is in the area of education and training. Computer automation has simplified and automated the instructional process, allowing a computer to both automatically teach, tutor and evaluate students. Advances in computer data storage permit the storage of volumes of course/topical materials as well as vast reference libraries in a compact and electronically searchable form. Such libraries of materials permit users to locate necessary information in a matter of seconds from within vast volumes of data. In general, computer automation has reduced the costs and required resources of the instructional process while increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of that process.
Enterprises have embraced computer based instructional technologies for the purposes of educating and training their employees. Such systems are routinely utilized at every level of an organization, from secretaries learning to use the latest word processor, to service technicians learning to service the latest product of the enterprise. Further, these enterprises recognize the value of placing manuals, guides and other reference materials in an on-line/electronic format, for both internal reference and external publication.
Computer-based instruction, as typically implemented by an enterprise, takes three primary forms. The first form is as an on-line help system or on-line reference. These systems are typically coupled with a computer program and involve a user selecting a help option within that program. However, such a help system may also be offered separately. Selecting the help option typically brings up tools that allow the user to read or search through some form of an on-line reference or on-line manual for the program. These systems are often built by simply converting offline documentation into an electronic form and adding a search engine. While often, these systems work well, the user must be familiar with the terminology used in the program and must recognize when they have located the solution to their problem. Often, the help system addresses their problem in a different context from what the user expects, complicating the user""s task in seeking assistance.
More advanced systems further provide assisted feedback to the user. Once the user has located the solution to their problem, they can select an option that will cause the help system to walk them through the steps of that solution. Typically, the help system will actually assist the user in operating the program to achieve the solution to the problem. Unfortunately, such systems suffer from the same problems as those of standard on-line help or reference systems, i.e. that the user needs to know what they are looking for and recognize the solution to their problem within a collection of information.
The most common form of computer-based instruction is the computer based tutorial. These are typically stand-alone programs that are designed to teach a user about a particular subject. In some computer-based tutorials, a testing system is provided which can be used to evaluate the user""s proficiency with the subject. In most cases, these computer-based tutorials are modeled from off-line counterparts utilized in the classroom, such as lectures and demonstrations coupled with evaluations. The computer-based tutorial offers the advantage of automating the presentation and evaluation processes and permits the user to learn at their own pace. While these systems prove adequate in introducing a user to a broad subject or to a specific set of subjects, they often are unable to meet a user""s specific needs. Further, they are often disconnected from the actual task or program that they are teaching and therefore lack an ability to provide feedback as the user actually attempts to put their knowledge into practice.
All of these systems are based on a traditional model of having the user search and retrieve information. This model requires a minimal understanding of the problem or task and recognition of the proper solution within a collection of information. Often, these systems result in excess extraneous information being presented, requiring the user to filter out the relevant information from the irrelevant information. The user may need to know where to look for the relevant material or skip through unnecessary or previously read material.
Similarly, with regard to task instructions, users may be provided with a detailed manual in hard copy that conforms to a pre-defined structure. For complex systems, such manuals may consist of several hundred pages. Even with a table of contents and index, using such instruction manuals can be time consuming and cumbersome. For an inexperienced user, the volume of information can be overwhelming and can result in increased time to task completion. For an experienced user, the volume of information can interfere with rapid location of information, also resulting in a longer time to task completion. It is assumed that the pre-defined structure of the document is suitable for all users.
One attempt to overcome these deficiencies involves breaking out information into separate documents such as (1) basic user information and (2) more advanced reference material. However, this method of documentation places additional burdens on the user, requiring him/her to look in more than one place for certain instructions. Converting paper documents to electronic form, as described above, does not eliminate user frustration. In some cases users even prefer paper manuals over online electronic documents; i.e., it can be easier to flip through pages rather than scrolling through long electronic documents.
Accordingly, there is a need for a computer based instructional system that adapts to the needs of the user, presents only relevant information, and generally provides an efficient interface for assisting the user in learning about or performing specific tasks.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below relate to a system for facilitating access and presentation of information to a user. Given an access level, a working mode and a sub-topic, the system selects one or more knowledge objects, from a collection of knowledge objects, containing information appropriate to the specified access level, oriented to the specified working mode and relevant to the specified sub-topic. The information from these selected knowledge objects is then presented to the user.
In one embodiment, the system includes a user interface operative to receive a first specification defining a first access level of the user, a second specification defining a first working mode, and a third specification defining a first sub-topic. The system also includes a plurality of knowledge objects and a knowledge selector coupled with the user interface and the knowledge pool. The knowledge selector is operative to select a first selection of at least one relevant knowledge object based on the first, second and third specifications from the knowledge pool and provide the first selection to the user interface. The user interface is further operative to present the first selection to the user.
The preferred embodiments further relate to a method of facilitating access and presentation of information to a user. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a first specification defining a first access level of the user, receiving a second specification defining a first working mode, receiving a third specification defining a first sub-topic, selecting, from a plurality of knowledge objects, a first selection of at least one relevant knowledge object based on the first, second and third specifications, and presenting the first selection to the user.
Further aspects and advantages of the invention are discussed below in conjunction with the preferred embodiments.